Fresh from the 5-0 thrashing they received from incumbent champions Lady Maroons, the UST Lady Shuttlers were out for blood as they entered the courts last Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall. Filled with much determination to prove their worth after their defeat, the España-based shuttlers successfully delivered their own thrashing as they, with difficulty, defeated their NU counterparts 4 matches to 1.
Steffi Aquino was the first to administer UST’s carnage as she quickly struck against NU’s Marinel Diansay to create a lead as they entered the 11th point interval, 11-5. Aquino did not stop there as she continued on to drive in deep and wreck Diansay’s defenses to win the set 21-13. Aquino would then go on to wreak havoc to once again create an early lead in the second set. An already weakened Diansay would fail to limit Aquino’s scoring spree as she would ultimately lose 21-9 to give the UST Lady Shuttlers’ their first match win for the day.
UST’s Anna Patricia Barredo was the second to take a match win home. However, her win did not come easy due to Lady Bulldog Jiselle Capillo’s great performance that won her the first set 19-21. Sadly for Capillo, her first set victory came as a one off as she lost the second and third set 21-12 and 21-10, thus deemed to be powerless against a revitalized Barredo.
NU’s shining moment would come in the first doubles as the duo of Loverly Magallano and Amica Du-ay would prove to be the only winners for their team. Despite giving the first set to UST’s first double duo Ma. Victoria Vismonte and Airish Macalanao 21-12, the Magallano and Duay tandem were able to pull off a successful comeback to trounce UST’s Vismonte and Macalano in the second and third set 17-21 and 15-21 respectively.
UST would, however, strike hard in retaliation to their defeat as the duo of Barredo and Aquino would against face off their singles opponents Capillo and Diansay to deliver another win for UST. Seemingly still adjusting to their pair-up, the duo of Aquino and Barredo started off slow down in the first set as NU’s Capillo and Diansay were quick to capitalize and create an early lead. A coordinated attack from Aquino and Barredo would soon allow the duo to quickly catch up and force a deuce that concluded 22-20 for UST. A beatdown reminiscent to their early singles matches occurred in the second round as the duo Barredo and Aquino were seen to be in sync and delivered a 21-9 victory against Diansay and Capillo to remind them of their early one-sided defeat.
Having already won at this point, UST’s Macalinao would be forced to once again battle NU’s Magallano to put the day behind them. Determined to win this time around, Macalino was slow to attack in the first set as she had to catch up to win 21-17. Magallano, however, was equally determined to end the day with another win for her school as despite failing to gain an early lead, she finished the second set triumphant to turn the tides around 17-21. seemingly exhausted, however, Magallano was ultimately routed in the last set as Macalinao thundered her way too win the set 21-10 to finish the tie with another victory for the Gold and White.
